Search the Census Index

The census schedules are organized by location, not by name, so it is a good idea to use an index to find your ancestor’s name before you delve into the census schedules. When you are searching online, this step is automatically included in the searching process. However, when you are searching in the microfilms, books, and CDs, you will want to search in the published indexes. While indexes themselves provide valuable information, it is important for researchers to find the actual entry in which their ancestors appear because the original entry will usually provide more information about the individual, and in some cases prove the index transcription to be slightly incorrect.

Printed Indexes

These indexes are alphabetical listings of surnames of the heads of households
according to the way the names were spelled on the census. Because not all names are written the same today as they might have been in the past, researchers should look for a variety of spelling variations when examining these indexes.

Soundex Indexes

The Soundex overcomes the difficulty of spelling variations because each soundex code is associated with the way a

An 1880 Soundex Card.

surname sounds, not how it is spelled on the census. Again, the Soundex Index is based on heads of households only, and covers the census years of 1880-1930. It was originally a 3 x 5 card catalog at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., which has not been microfilmed and is available at many libraries and archives throughout the country. The cards are organized on microfilm by state, and then by soundex code, and finally by the alphabetical order of the given name of the head of household within that soundex code

Information on each card includes the surname soundex code, the state and county and town of enumeration, volume number, enumeration district number, sheet number, and line number, name of the head of household, age, sex, color, and names of the individuals living within that household. It is important to note that large families often take up two index cards, so make sure to check the cards immediately before and after the card on which your ancestor’s name appears.

Miracode Index—1910 census only

The miracode index is a computerized index that uses the same phonetic name coding system as the original soundex name coding system and was created by the Bureau of the Census for 21 states that lacked a general index to their 1910 census. The miracode index is a card index that has been filmed and put onto

Copy of a Miracode entry.

microfiche. Names in this index are arranged according to the code of the surname and only the household heads are indexed. This index differs from the 1910 soundex index in the citation information given and the states that are included. Citation information on the miracode index gives the volume number, enumeration district number, and visitation number while the 1910 soundex cards cite the volume number, enumeration district number, and sheet number. States that are included in the miracode index are: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. States included in the soundex are: Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana (except Shreveport and New Orleans), Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas.

Information indexed includes the miracode surname index code, surname, given names of all household members and their relationship to the head of household, state and county and city/town of enumeration, visitation number given to each household by the census enumerator, volume number, and enumeration district.